[78-L] Good post from fnarf

[David Lewis]

One of my favorite bands of the 1930s, the Harlem Hamfats, devised its blues meets jazz formula primarily for records. They played at a Harlem club for at least three years, specializing mostly in waltzes and polkas and apparently never playing the blues music that they were associated with on records. In the rush to appreciate "jazz" it seems we forget that these groups played dance music, and as such were all expected to deliver the ordinary fare that the dancers wanted in addition to the hot stuff.

 

The one James Reese Europe side that is never reissued is "Congratulations Waltz," composed by Europe and a very nice side, incidentally. 

Uncle Dave Lewis uncledavelewis at hotmail.com



_________________________________________________________________
Rediscover Hotmail®: Get e-mail storage that grows with you. 
http://windowslive.com/RediscoverHotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Rediscover_Storage1_042009